Bash it Up
by Golum
Summary: Severus’s worst memory continued. A Marauder era fic Warnings: Contains verbal, physical, sexual abuse, Slash. MPREG Fic. Do NOT read if that offends you!
1. Bash It up

**Bash It Up** by Golum

Disclaimer: Severus and all other Harry Potter characters do not belong to me. Sad and disturbing as that is to me…

_Authors notes:_ _The title comes from the chorus of the Offspring song _**_Keep'Em Separated by The Offspring. Each chapter title is derived from the lyrics of one of the following songs: _**_5-3-10-4 by Alkaline Trio, Of Wolf and Man - Metallica, _Heal It Up - _Concrete Blonde and others; Homage will be paid to the works of Lord Byron in later chapters._

_Additionally, I am of the theory that when upset young Severus reverts back to his childhood dialect, for the most part only inside his head. That if his stress is too bad, he loses his veneer of proper English, that in his ambition he has tried so to cultivate. Since during his school years, he spends 2 months out of the year immersed in his childhood culture, I believe this to be plausible. Also plausible is that he was probably raised within Christianity and would express that in cursing, despite his later rejection of all things muggle. So that's how I'll write him. Dialect from Manchester, England_

_Also, does anyone wish to volunteer to beta? Mostly squick and or slash stories._

**Marauder era fiction**

**Warnings: Lots of angst, contains verbal, physical, and sexual abuse of a Slash nature, will include graphic non-con and bestiality in later chapters**

**Squick factor: MPREG fiction**

Severus's worst memory continued.

Part 1

Chapter 1: Schoolyard freaks are bleeding

Thursday, June 10th 1976: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

"Who wants to see me take off Snivelly's pants?" Severus Snape's chief tormenter, James Potter asked the scattered students who were watching their confrontation by the lake. The tall, well-built bully was grinning with delight at his chance to increase the Slytherin's torment. One of Potter's hands covered the bleeding wound on Potter's handsome face that Severus had caused earlier.

Severus was dangling upside-down for the second time in a matter of minutes; his robes hanging about his head and hindering his struggles against the Levicorpus spell that Potter was using against him. Severus could feel the rapidly spreading bruises form along his shoulders and legs from his previous fall, when Potter had dropped him after having suspended him earlier. Potter's wand was held pointed at Severus's graying underpants and exposed legs by the other. Severus's wand already lay in the grass out of his reach, having fallen there earlier. He was helpless.

All the Hogwarts professors who might have intervened and put and end to the confrontation were inside the old castle. They never seemed inclined to patrol enough for true supervision of the student body at the best of times. But currently the professors were even less likely to supervise as they were dealing with the necessities of Ordinary Wizarding Level testing.

"Let me down, Potter, you imbecilic dirtbag!" Severus demanded.

Potter, always loving an audience, increased his volume. "Shall we see how ugly and small dark wizards really are?" The contempt in his voice combined with the threat of further violence sent both the weaker and soft-hearted students scurrying. Severus hoped that one of the nicer ones would break the taboo against bearing tales and get help from one of the Professors. But that so rarely happened; he refused to get his hopes for assistance up. "Your girlfriend already ran off, no need to try and show off for her." Severus pointed out.

Through the gapes in his robes, Severus could see the small pack of the more curious and malicious students creep closer, closing in like hyenas that were scenting the kill. The audience included all four of Hogwart's houses. Many of the surrounding students, who had watched though his entire torment whispering, pointing and giggling, were now urging the Gryffindor gang to finish exposing him. Cries of "Take if off!" and "Strip the bugger!" rang out from several sources including his own Slytherin house.

Potter, tossed his dark wild-haired head like the larger predator he was and glanced at his smallest lackey, Peter Pettigrew. "What do you think? Off or on?"

"Off! Off! De-bag him!" his small blond friend screamed with glee.

The jeering from the mob of students was clearly goading the bullies further. Potter smiled at the overall enthusiasm for his prank. "What do the rest of you think?" Remus Lupin, Hogwart's most pathetic excuse for a prefect and third member of the gang, initially just hid his face in his school books and averted his eyes. For a brief moment Severus began to hope that the quieter boy might finally do his job and rein in the rest. Lupin's expression seemed torn between shame at what his fellows were doing and amusement, but in the end his allegiance to his fellow Gryffindors won out and he reluctantly nodded.

The implicit permission for more violence from the closest thing to authority in the area rang up a cheer from the surrounding students, many of whom were among the most spiteful in the school. "Might as well please the crowd, Jamie." smirked Sirius Black, the fourth and final member of the gang known as the Marauders. "Let's see what Snivelly's got."

Unfortunately, it seemed that none of Severus's few allies were present or at were not willing to stick their necks out for him against such long odds. Severus's nerve broke with that realization. There would be no outside assistance. He had to try to put and end to this immediately however much that meant humiliating himself. "No, please don't!" the miserable boy plead hopelessly, almost to low for anyone to hear. "Please stop." He begged a little louder. He'd suffered enough pranks at the hands of the cruel Marauder boys to know there would be no mercy however much he asked, but given his situation he had to try.

Potter's grin widened in response to how much the prank was disturbing the unpopular Slytherin boy. The desperation in the Slytherin's voice just egged him on. He began the wand gestures that would strip the other boy of his loose grey underwear. Severus closed his eyes against what he guessed was now inevitable. After all he done to hide his condition, his worst enemies would be behind this public unveiling of his shame. It was just a moment later that he could feel the thin breeze caress his now naked genitals, backside and belly.

The crowd gasped. The pallid flesh that had been revealed included a large swelled belly. Even while he was hanging upside down, the round bulge of his pale abdomen jutting from his otherwise lean torso made it quite clear that despite his gender, Severus was many months pregnant. A swell of confused jabbering arose from the onlookers. The students jostled and nudged at one another in their attempts to get a better look.

The Marauders openly gaped at their pregnant male enemy. Even Lupin, who alone of the Marauders was well read enough to understand the possibility of a pregnant male, was flummoxed. It wasn't long before his adversaries rallied. Potter and Black's expressions soon turned to open disgust and contempt. Severus's heart broke under the weight of it all. Hard fought tears began to silently flow despite his best efforts.

"Shite! He's not just any freak! How did a guy get pregnant?" Pettigrew asked with a puzzled frown.

Black carefully approached the suspended teen boy and pressed two of his fingers slowly, painfully into the captive's rounded flesh. Severus feebly batted though his heavy robes at Black's brawny form as it neared him, but he was dizzy and disorientated from his ordeal. His arms were too thoroughly impeded by the black cloth and his efforts ultimately proved useless against the bully. A flick of the wretch's wand and a muttered word and his robes were drawn tightly around his head and shoulders trapping his arms even further. Now he couldn't even strike out in self defense. "Get away from me! Don't touch me!" Severus desperately wailed.

"You are preggars! Ugg! We knew you were covering something up, but this? What a complete weirdo, you are!" Black slowly increased his fingers pressure, poking far into the other's belly, probing harshly. "Was it a spell?" The pressure triggered a small ripple across the pale flesh beneath his hand. Black traced the dark line that had recently appeared on Severus's pale flesh skin from his belly button to his black wiry pubic hair. He probed harder just up from the hairline, digging his fingers in as far as he could and wringing a pained gasp from Severus. "It's real! Really real! I can feel something moving in here!" Black turned and offered his place to one of the crowd. "Hey, you! Want a feel?"

Many of the onlookers pushed closer at the offer. At first, the touches were tentative upon his bulging stomach. But soon the onlookers had taunted each other into firm nudges and strokes across Severus belly. By then he didn't care who heard, Severus just asked hopelessly over and over for it to stop. Some were undoubtedly just fascinated by a pregnant male and had lost track that this was happening at the expense of another being. Others were enjoying becoming part of the unpopular student's humiliation. He could hear the speculations regarding his disgrace and how it could have occurred. The comments got lewder, speculating on the acts required to make a man pregnant. Voices urged others to further indignities on his body.

Severus could feel several anonymous hands roughly pushing at his belly, at the same time. Some few even took the opportunity to grope his vulnerable cock and balls. Fear and shame kept him limp as they rubbed against his private parts. Nails scratched him as the students vied to touch him. Sheer irony when normally few were willing to touch him at all; when their delusion that he was a dark wizard made him pariah. But, like a spreading disease, the pack mentality had taken over. The hands got more violent in their assault. Inarticulate whimpers and sobs were forced through his numb lips, however much he tried to bite back the evidence of how badly they were hurting him.

He could hear the Marauders laughing and heckling, egging the assault on. The only exception seemed to be Lupin who was belatedly trying to talk the crowd down. By now the most brutal had staked out the area closest to him. A hand grasped at tightly around his cock and pulled at him roughly. One set of large fingers even found their way around his slender hips and across his backside, dipping brutally into his cheek crevice, briefly breeching his tightly held hole. That won the nameless sod a louder howl from Severus. The fingers shoved into him harder, tearing at him.

More and more hands were touching him everywhere now, out of control, grabbing, prodding, handling him intimately, and all he could see through the gapes in his robes were feet. No way to even tell which houses the students who were abusing him belonged to. The perpetually acerbic part of his mind observed that his degradation was equally attractive to males and females.

Eternal minutes later, Lupin, sounding panicky, finally succeeded in calling them off. "Enough! Get away. Back off! Now!" Reluctantly the crowd pulled away, conversations and conjectures running wild. "Jamie, it's time to end it."

"Who would touch such a greasy git as you, anyway? I knew you were a nasty little pillow-biter, but who was perverted or blind enough to bang such an ugly bag of bones as you?" Potter said with icy disgust. He abruptly ended the spell that held his victim aloft.

Severus fell hard, tucking somewhat so as to land on his back, instinctively trying to protect the child within. His breath was forced out by the impact; for a minute he could bring air back into his aching body. Quickly he pulled his robes over his bruised trembling body, hiding it from the stares of all those curious eyes. He felt more dirty and ashamed then he ever had before. Not even the event that led to his pregnancy had made him feel as filthy, as soiled. The tears smeared across his face were visible to the crowd now that his robes were pulled down. He trembled so hard with humiliation that his legs would not hold him the first time he tried to get up. The fear of the consequences of his secret being revealed beginning to overwhelm him.

"He's crying. Guess he's earning his nickname, hasn't he?" Black stated in a disgusted voice. The bully crossed his arms and glared. "Snivillus, want to explain how you did get knock up? Did someone put a bag over your head and fuck you or was it a dark arts experiment gone wrong maybe?"

Pettigrew chimed in though his giggles. "Yeah, Snivillus, did you do it to yourself?" he taunted.

Severus's black eyes flashed with absolute hatred as he finally succeeded in struggling to his feet. In addition to his pains and bruises from the ordeal, his joints were aching as they had for the last few weeks. A side effect of the pregnancy, he'd read. His hands curled into fists. "Purra zipper on it, you berks! Any of you tomnoddies touch me again an I'll belt yer teeth down yer gob!" Severus hissed in humiliated rage, his normally faultless English fleetingly cast aside in favor of his childhood moonraker diction.

He swiped the tears and snot from his face with shaking hands and gathered what nerve he had left. He had been shamed by the Marauders enough, he would not continue to help the them by allowing them to know how much they had gotten to him. It took all his willpower to put an end his shuddering sobs and force his features into his familiar sneer. He quickly found his wand where it had fallen after being ripped from his hand, and then turned with it held firmly at the ready.

"Now let me though. You will not touch me again!" Squaring his shoulders and drawing himself up to his full height, Severus pushed past his tormenters, and made his way back to the castle carefully ignoring both the whispers of speculation and derisive catcalls that followed him.

**de-bag **_Verb._ To remove a persons trousers, usually without their consent. Usually adolescents behaviour.

**git **_Noun._ An idiot or contemptible person.

**gob **_Noun._ - mouth.

**moonraker** _Noun._ A person from the area of Middleton, Manchester. Occasionally derog.

**pillow-biter **_Noun._ A homosexual male. Derog.

**preggars** _Adj._ Pregnant. A corruption of the word pregnant.

**Purra zipper on it**: shut up

**tomnoddies**: despicable local fools


	2. See Right through Me

Chapter 2: See Right Through Me

Severus was seized by yet another deep wave of misery. He'd fled inside the castle, ignoring his fellow students along the way, and secreted himself in a small water-closet for several hours. His pregnancy had forced him to become intimately aware of most of the facilities in the vast building due to his reduced bladder space. He cursed the fact that his concealing charms could not be sustained through the O.W.L. testing process. Despite his pains, he couldn't risk going to the school nurse. Madam Pomfrey would be exceedingly kind and helpful but unwilling to keep his confidence regarding his condition. She had established her perfidy in the years before by bringing his father's belt marks to the headmaster's attention despite Severus's strong objections.

No, he couldn't tell anyone about the incident; there were too many implications about a male pregnancy to volunteer a report of his condition anywhere near someone in authority. He had to hope that the Hogwarts rumor mill would produce enough confusion that combined with the pressure of Owls and year-end testing would successfully distract the staff until he could leave for home. It was unlikely but he had to have some hope. This would be the first year ever that he would be looking forward to going home. He only hoped he would succeed in concealing being on the club from his father. Failure would be worth his life.

He took thorough stock of his injuries. His bruising was extensive; but given the rough handling he had endured at the hands of those soppy nobs, it was predictable. He had several raised livid scratches across his belly and buttocks. Additionally, his cock, balls, and bum felt like they were on fire; he was a trifle bloody in his rear. His ball-bag was aching most of all. He would have a rough few days as his condition was too delicate for the simple healing potions that were all he could brew without expensive ingredients. He wasn't educated enough medically yet to take chances with his cargo. Severus found himself praying, for the first time since he was a small boy, that the child had not been injured by the experience. His child.

Still suffering from the aftermath of the hideous prank, Severus violently threw up for what seemed the millionth time since he'd become pregnant. He still had bubbles in his stomach from Potter's earlier Scouring Charm. It was horrible to be so sick with out getting merry first. He'd also had headaches, swelling, aversions to foods and smells and worse. Not for the first time he wondered why he couldn't bring himself to terminate the fetus. Early on he'd gone so far as to mix an easy aborting potion and put it to his lips but found that he could not bear to go through with it. Remembering, he wet his lips with fresh clear water, the only thing he would be able to keep down tonight. It took two glasses of water to clean out the taste.

It took many hours but Severus finally pulled himself together and headed for the Slytherin common room. Sixth year Evan Rosier was kissing Agatha Timms in the common room but the couple broke it off to join the other scattered Slytherins in coolly scrutinizing Snape. Evan's coldness hit Severus hard as the slightly older boy was one of Severus's few allies.

Unfortunately, Severus could understand his cohorts' antipathy. There were 'implications' to a male gestation. Many of the darker members of his house would be calculating just what he might be gestating. Slytherins, as a house, were the least historically prejudiced regarding unconventional sexuality or even potential use of Dark Arts, but Snape was considered an oddball by wizarding standards even for them. His unconventional reproduction would leave the house open to scrutiny and ridicule. For many of them this would seem to be the last straw, permanently alienating Severus from most of his housemates.

Even stepped forward. "Was it Familurus Bajang? Or one of the stranger spells?" he asked derisively. "If you're playing with those sorts of Dark Arts, you should have waited until you were out of Hogwarts. Getting caught is not very Slytherin of you, no matter how or why you did the spell."

"It's none of your business, Evan," Snape replied with a sinking feeling. He realized that he might have lost what few friends that he'd had left in the school. For a little while Severus had deluded himself that Evan could be more than just an ally, more than just a sometime friend. But it was clear that Evan was distancing himself from any taint of association with Severus. He'd known that the boy could be cruel; he just hadn't expected that cruelty to be turned on him.

He raised his voice, "Any of you who stick your nose into this, I'll hex you when and how you least expect it. It's my business and no one else's. And you should be warned that I will be at my most creative if I have to do it!" His well deserved reputation for clever malicious revenge served him well as the other students contemplated his words and decided to not anger the formidable young wizard. Besides, some thought, if it is a demon child than it might be of use to their own plans.

Regulus Black, Sirius Black's little brother, stepped close to Severus and said with a worried frown, "Slughorn was in a bit earlier. He said to tell you that Dumbledore wanted you to go to his office and speak to him immediately." Severus was fleetingly grateful that sweet-tempered Regulus was nothing like the elder Black boy.

Oh, cack! Severus realized that his life was totally ballsed-up. The confrontation that he had dreaded was clearly upon him. He mentally and magically girded himself for battle and departed for the entrance to Headmaster Dumbledore's office. The gargoyle in front must have been informed to let him go up as soon as he arrived, despite his not having the current password. Severus started trembling again as he rode the stairs upwards. As he entered Headmaster Dumbledore's office, he noted that the office portraits normally pretending slumber were alert and peering curiously at him. The office itself seemed to be awaiting his arrival. Even the magical objects that filled every surface of the room were stilled and silent for the upcoming confrontation.

Severus snuck a quick glance at the silver-haired, long-bearded wizard sitting behind his massive, claw-footed desk. The normally cheerful headmaster in his vivid crimson robes appeared to be unusually grave; his expression bordering between angry and anxious. Dumbledore's blue eyes were certainly not twinkling behind their glasses as was their customary expression. The man neither offered him candy nor asked him to sit. This was a sure sign of impending catastrophe given what he'd experienced of the man's usual temperament.

"Severus, word has come to me about this afternoon. I realize that you were treated poorly, and I'm truly sorry that you had to endure that. However there has come to my attention a much greater issue. I have to ask you, are you carrying a child?" Dumbledore inquired preemptively and with considerable seeming indignation. But Severus detected fear hidden underneath the more obvious tone.

"If I claimed that I was, what would you do?" Severus countered keeping his eyes carefully on the desk between them. He was well aware of the other's habitual use of legilimency to facilitate his legendary reputation of omniscience. While he had been practicing every book learned technique for occlumency, he couldn't trust his beginner's skills against the man who was reputed to be Britain's greatest wizard.

The elderly wizard answered slowly with a terrible kindness to his voice. "If you carry a …child …there would be terrible choices ahead of us both. You must know that there would be an investigation and that the ministry would have to be involved. My part in making some of those choices would grieve me deeply but the decisions would have to be made and the repercussions suffered. None the less the truth will serve you better then a lie right now. So tell me truly, are you expecting?"

"Do my medical records show that I am, Headmaster?" Snape evaded keeping his voice steady but still was careful not to meet his headmaster's eyes.

"Do not play games with me, my boy!" the immensely powerful wizard slapped his hand against his desk in abrupt uncharacteristic emphasis. "I examined your records. They showed that, after an appallingly regular pattern of extended infirmary visits over the last 5 years, those visits just abruptly stopped this winter. Now, **are you breeding**?"

Deeming it the safest course of action, Severus did not respond. He simply let the other man's distress wash over him. He could see the portraits examining his aspect from all angles, no doubt at the headmaster's orders. The moment stretched endlessly as the normally cheerful headmaster gazed at him somberly, trying to probe into him. The air thickened with the pressure being brought to bear. In the stillness, Severus could hear nothing but his own heartbeat and breath.

The pressure finally broke as Dumbledore sighed heavily. There was so palpable a relief from that terrible pressure that Severus felt lightheaded and weak.

"Open your robes and bare your belly." Dumbledore instructed, abruptly changing tactics.

"I don't believe you have the right to order me to do that." was Severus's flat reply.

"I could write to your parents about the incident and inform them of the resulting rumors." The headmaster's blue eyes were sad as he made the threat.

Severus flinched at that but he had no response. There was none. From vast experience, both he and the headmaster knew that, if his father was informed about the afternoon's events, Severus would suffer far beyond any sane measure. This time the silence weighed against the headmaster in heavy reproach. Old guilts in regard to the dark boy wore at the powerful wizard.

"Don't resist me on this child, just answer the question and let us go on from there. I have **every** right to ask you this! Do not defy me." Those words were said as a last resort as the headmaster's eyes admitted the defeat of his threat.

Severus ignored the old man before him. "May I go now, Headmaster?"

"I should force you to answer me. Or I could send you to Madam Pomfrey and have her examine you. That is well within my responsibilities."

Severus surreptitiously placed his hand on his wand before answering. "And if I refused such an order?"

Headmaster Dumbledore just looked at the defiant teen-aged boy for a moment and sighed again. He clearly noted the boy's absolute resolve to continue his non-cooperation. The older wizard's shoulders slumped in temporary defeat.

"I shall not force you. At this time at least. We will revisit this matter later. Do not think this is the end of this."

After leaving the Headmasters office shivering from the stress of confrontation, Severus made his way through the now darkened castle hallways. It was just after curfew and he should head back to his dormitory but he needed to be alone once more to recover from everything that had occurred. He went to a small storage room that he'd discovered just off the main hallway in the dungeons. Severus had been using the room as a hideout since his third year, when he'd felt so abandoned by the graduation of first Lucius Malfoy and then Narcissa Black. Severus had held the two as most prized amongst the few Slytherin students who had ever been friendly with him. It had been months before he wanted to go anywhere near the Slytherin common room that reminded him of them.

The house elves had become so accepting of his usurpation of the room for his own needs that they left it unlocked more like than not. Severus lighted the torches and, after arranging his robed to insolate him from the cold stone floor, collapsed. Careful contemplation of his situation and the headmaster's response was essential if he were to continue resisting his fate.

The hypocritical old bastard had not even asked him if he was all right! Where had his vaunted compassion been? His concern. His care? The berk might wear an uncomplicated, merry face for most of the students, but when it came to Slytherins and Severus in particular, the wizard often showed a different side. The Great Dumbledore hadn't asked for details about today's abuse or even offered to punish his golden Gryffindor! He hadn't even suggested the infirmary for Severus's health, out of concern. Even that had been used as a threat. No, Dumbledore was just alarmed that he would have to deal with all the complex ramifications of a pregnant male student. Bothered by the personal discomfort he would have. It was clear that the old fool was worried about his responsibilities in the situation, not Severus's well-being. Severus reminded himself that he had never expected any other response and carefully ignored the tears that slipped down his face at the thought of the headmaster's perfidy.

When had he been designated as the school whipping boy, Severus wondered? The professors praised his intelligence and proven abilities but made no move to protect him. He had very few allies and virtually no friends at Hogwarts. His fellow Slytherins were usually leery about tormenting him due to his wealth of knowledge regarding dark hexes, potions, and devious tricks. His proven willingness to use them when overly provoked combined with his willingness to teach them gave him a limited exemption from foul play within the dorms. But that didn't make them chums.

He'd been fighting with the Marauders since first year, but it hadn't been until this year that they seemed determined to drive him around the twist. While Snape admitted internally that he had occasionally instigated certain pranks, for the most part his altercations with the Gryffindor goms had consisted of their offense and his retribution. Crying yet again, Severus began to rock his battered body slowly back and forth, wrapping his arms around the strange gift growing inside him that only he seemed to find precious.

**ball-bag:** The scrotum.

**ballsed-up: **_Adj._ Ruined, in a mess.

**berk:**Idiotic or unpleasant objectionable person.

**bum: **The buttocks or anus.

**cack**: shite

**drive someone around the twist, to: **to frustrate someone or to drive them crazy.

**gom**: a fool

**merry: **very drunk

**nob: **1. A penis. 2. An idiot, an objectionable person. 3. A person of wealth and high social standing, a member of the upper-classes. _Verb. _To have sexual intercourse

**on the club:** pregnant

**soppy**: worthless


	3. Deep In Your Eyes

Chapter 3: Deep In Your Eyes

Chater Three: Deep In Your Eyes

Remus Lupin was currently in tears. He had spent most of the evening inside the prefect's bathroom, vomiting until his stomach was empty. He had been unable to eat that evening … pushing the food around his plate, and staring at the empty seat at the Slytherin table that Severus Snape had usually occupied. Even the menu's inclusion of his beloved lamb chops could not tempt Remus into eating.

The other Marauders had repeatedly congratulated themselves for a job well done on both the Defense Against the Dark Arts O.W.L.'s, and the 'prank' of the afternoon. As with many of the other students, they had been wildly speculating on Severus's bizarre state since that incident. Rumors had been born, grew, only to die, right before his eyes. The Hogwarts students were almost as focused on the fact that the weird lanky boy was probably actively homosexual, as on the peculiarity of his pregnancy.

Homos were frowned upon in the wizarding world, but there were always a few obvious ones. Despite being officially banned, it was mostly ignored at Hogwarts … as long as it was not too blatant - since it was expected that there would be some experimentation from curious adolescents. However, the gossip mill usually ran overtime regarding observed homosexuals, or even just crushes. Moreover, no one could remember any student, boy or girl, who had ever expressed an interest in Severus.

Remus had tried to keep his eyes down, and ignore the conversations around him. However, when Peter had excitedly gone over the afternoon's events for the third time in loving and attentive detail, it all became too much for him, and he had excused himself early from the meal to barricade himself in the bathroom.

He found himself sick from remembering his own part in an act that he had finally recognized to be torture.

Now, he had been retching and dry-heaving off and on for some hours since. He could not remember any other time in his life where he had been so utterly, wretchedly ashamed of himself. He had not just stood by and watched the violation as an observer; he had actively participated by giving consent for the crime. In addition, no matter how he washed or how sick he was, he would never be able to rid himself of the taint of that.

While Remus disapproved of the Marauder's tormenting of other wizards for no reason other than being bored, it had been surprisingly easy to squash his reservations - and give his approval for the game to continue into the debacle it had now become. After all, James, Sirius and the others were good at playing pranks, and normally Severus was first-class at avenging them. While in theory the Marauder's pranks could happen to anyone who crossed their path, the truth was Potter and Black did not go after anyone nearly as much as they did with Severus.

It had previously been easy for Remus to rationalize ignoring, or even aiding with the nasty tricks that James and Sirius instigated. Despite holding a grudging respect for the other boy's magic and his guts at standing up to four to one odds it was not as if Remus actually liked the strange, gangly Slytherin. Some days it all had just seemed like good fun; other days Remus realized how badly they were treating the other boy. He shuddered, by now he could not stop shaking.

Now, Remus understood that they had gone too far; that what they had done had been monstrous. For years, he had believed that he could only be a monster during the full moon when his wolf side ran wild. Today he had graduated to becoming a monster in daylight, and by his own will. He would rather have died then know that he was capable of this.

He still couldn't believe that what had started out a prank by James, to relieve Padfoot's boredom had grown to become an all out assault by Padfoot and a small mob, due to Severus's surprising condition. Merlin, how had Severus gotten himself pregnant … and how and why had he hidden it for so long? Also, what was happening in the Slytherin common room tonight? That mob scene had included all the Houses. A few of Severus's attackers had been Slytherin and Remus would have sworn that one of them - Evan Rosier - was supposedly a friend of Severus's.

Remus was worried that the assault had truly hurt the pregnant boy. It was only one more night before the full moon and Remus's sense of smell was particularly acute. He had smelled more then just the stink of shame and terror when Severus had finally been let down. He'd also scented blood from the other wizard. As rough as James and Sirius had gotten with him, they had not drawn blood before. What Sirius had done could have really injured Severus. If anyone had done that to a pregnant girl, they might have be fined - or even sent to Azkaban for it.

At first, he had thought it had been James's blood from the cutting spell that Severus had used earlier; but as the boy had moved past him to retrieve his wand, he had gotten a faint whiff of another's blood. The crowd had been too close to Severus for him to get more than a glimpse or two of what had gone on inside the tight ring of students, so Remus did not know what had happened that drew the blood. He just knew it had, and that whatever had happened it was all his fault. He had been the Prefect, and he had not merely ignored his duty. He had been asked after all. Worst of all, he had given the nod to the prank.

Remus realized that wallowing in his own anguish yet again would not help Severus. For his own conscience's sake, he would have to try to find out if Severus was all right. To start, he would get the magical Map that he and his fellow Marauders had created - and see where he was. If he were in the Slythern dorms, Remus would find him tomorrow. At least Remus could make sure that Snape was not in the infirmary due to the prank. Remus heaved himself off the cold bathroom floor to begin his quest.

When Remus entered the Gryffindor common room, it was afire with discussion of the day's events. Sirius was loudly boasting of how he 'verified' the bizarre pregnancy, and describing how it felt. Peter was energetically leading the wave of speculations, and reveling in the attention which each of his wild theories garnered to him. James was looking longingly at Lily, who was clearly fuming over the whole thing, glaring back while denouncing the prank.

"Well, he did live up to his 'Snivellus' nickname, didn't he?" Peter said with a lopsided grin toward Remus, and then gave a look around the common room … as if he waited for applause. The other Gryffindors were hanging on Peter's every word for once. "The tears were dripping down that gigantic nose of his, weren't they?" he went on, "I wonder if his poof lover was there to see all that crying. Do you think the father could be…"

Snatches of the conversation continued drifted up him, but Remus did not pause in making his way to the fifth year boys' dormitory. He did not want to hear his fellows dissecting Severus any further. He just wanted the Map. It had been useful for various tricks and youthful escapes due to its tracking abilities; but this time, Remus was going to use the Map to find the Marauder's victim … and try to help him. At the least, Remus intended to apologize for his part.

Despite it being just after curfew by a hair, Remus made his way out of the Gryffindor rooms without drawing attention to himself. He lit the end of his wand with a quick whispered "Lumos." When he studied the map, he found that Severus was not in the Slytherin rooms - nor was he in the infirmary. Instead, Severus's icon appeared to be in a storage room not far from the kitchens. Careful to avoid the Hogwart's caretaker and long-time Marauder nemesis Angus Filch, Remus made his way towards it.

Once he got there, Remus was very careful as he tried the door. He half expected that the other boy had Booby-Trapped it if he truly wanted to be left alone. Remus recalled many such traps that had been laid for the Marauders as they had set out to do Snape some mischief or another. One in particular had turned him and his friends green and silver striped for almost 2 weeks, and some others had been far worse - if of shorter duration. To Remus's surprise, the closet door was both unlocked and Hex-free. It swung open without even a creak of warning to the occupant.

Eyes closed, Severus was kneeling on the floor of the small storeroom with his arms wrapped around his enlarged middle. He was rocking back and forth with a desperate jolting motion that wrenched at Remus's heart.

Severus had used his robes to pad the cold stone floor, and was in nothing but a t-shirt -and what looked like identical gray underpants to those that Jamie had pulled off. The distinct bulge of his belly was clearly evident against Snape's long, slender frame. Tears were running down the boy's distraught face. Even so, there was a grace to Snape's movements that Remus had never noticed before.

There was also a care in the way one of Snape's long slender hands lay across his belly that Remus had only seen before, in an old Muggle mother and child religious painting that he had admired during Muggle studies. The artist, 'Botachilli' … or something that sounded like that, had captured the mother's tenderness combined with a reverence that had stuck in Remus's mind. It was beautiful.

Watching Severus's pain brought waves of fresh guilt. There was a vulnerability and reality to the boy's feelings that Remus had never wanted to see before. However, he found that the assumptions that had been clear to him in the prefect's bathroom … was now jumbled and muddy here. The force of his own varied emotions surprised Remus. It was not just concern, guilt, and grudging respect for Severus; there was something else. Something overwhelming and bizarre.

Severus had become something more to Remus in those moments of observation. He had become someone remarkable. He did not dare acknowledge just how remarkable … lest the odd sudden attraction became more real. However, Remus suddenly wanted to be more to the other boy too. He noted that there were bruises running up Severus's legs, going into the area covered by the pants. Remus wondered how far in they went. He forced himself to begin moving slowly towards the forlorn boy, thinking he could help him somehow.

His motion drew the other boy's attention - within seconds, Remus found himself at the end of Snape's wand … with its point against his throat. Severus peered through the doorway, evidently expecting another ambush. Only Severus could make the transition from vulnerable to hostile so quickly, thought Remus. He hoped that he could make his apology before Severus Hexed him properly.

"Why are you here? Where are the others?" Severus growled, as soon as he was satisfied that no more Gryffindors were coming into the room.

"I'm alone. I wanted to find you to tell you that I'm sorry…terribly sorry for what happened."

"Are you?" Severus's voice was steady despite his obvious misery and utter distrust. He continued to dig his wand into the tender flesh of Remus's throat. Despite the tears that still wet his face, his expression was implacable. "Why would I care how you feel?"

"I **am **sorry, Severus. Really, really sorry. I should have done something, anything. No one deserves what happened to you today. I just … got caught up in the moment. "

"And how exactly do I deserve any of it, Lupin?" Severus demanded, "How do you excuse any of it? Not just today but all the days!"

"I know we go overboard. But you do get us back quite a bit you know. Look, I'm not here to make excuses, I just needed to apologize.

"Am I supposed to lick your boots in gratitude for your change of heart, Lupin?" Severus drawled. "Go away; I don't need your pity!"

Remus had gotten lost in the black eyes that were glaring at him. Realizing he would get nowhere with more apology to the prickly boy, Remus blurted out the first thing that came to him. "Are you alright? You should go see Madam Pomfrey for those bruises."

"I said go away ! 'Op it! How I am and what I do is none of your business!" Severus roared back.

"I just want to help…to show…"

"I said boogaroff! So do it before I hex your clock off, you stupid nob!" Severus was spitting in his rage and backed Remus through the doorway of the room and into the dark corridor. "Get boxed!" He slammed the door in Remus's face and barricaded himself inside. The hairs on the back of Remus's neck went up at the strength of the Wards. Obviously, Remus would have to prove his good intentions to Severus another time. Given their history, Remus could not blame him for his attitude.

Despite Severus's anger, what really shook Remus was how he would felt. He had not been afraid at Severus's threatening behavior; instead, he had been overwhelmingly aware of how close the lanky boy had stood. Severus had the scent of sandalwood and dried nettles; when standing that close, Remus had only barely resisted reaching out to touch him, and pull him closer.

Remus had dated girls, perhaps a bit half-heartedly, but it was not as if he had not also fiddled about in the dark with a couple of the other boys. However, he would never felt the urge to kiss a boy, to press up against him. Moreover, if he'd ever had such, he would have resisted those urges. He had enough problems with prejudice against his Lycanthropy to not want to take on any more. What he had just felt, though, had been overwhelming.

Remus made his way toward the Gryffindor rooms, going over what had been said and his unexpected feelings again and again. He still owed Severus; more than an apology would ever cover. He did not even bother using the map to avoid Filch. He was too wrapped up in the welter of confusion his urges had brought forth. He made it to the seventh floor corridor that lead toward the Gryffindor rooms and started to contemplate how he would get past the other Marauder's without explaining where he had gone. He did not want to directly lie to them…

"Curfew is still in effect, I believe, Mr. Lupin. I don't remember you on the prefect patrol roster this week." Headmaster Dumbledore's cheerful voice emerged out of the hallway's gloom startling Remus. The headmaster appeared beside the surprised teenager and lit the nearest torch with just a silent wave of his hand. "Unless I'm mistaken, shouldn't you be in your dormitory this late at night?"

"Yes, Headmaster. I…I'm sorry."

"I believe that rule breaking in the name of concern can be overlooked if not too severe, Mr. Lupin. You needn't be quite so concerned." The headmaster said with a knowing smile. "Lemon sherbet?"

"Thank you, headmaster." Remus politely accepted the candy but slipped it into a pocket.

"It came to my attention that you were party to an altercation this afternoon." The normally genial exterior of the Headmaster was now missing. His expression had turned quite grave. "Putting aside, for now, the fact of the prank itself, there are some interesting tales being spread as to the details of the event. Did you notice anything about Mr. Snape that you would care to inform me about?"

"I…Uhh…I" Remus could only stammer. Why was the headmaster not concerned about the mass assault of a student? Why wasn't he asking for names?

The headmaster interrupted. "Let me be plain. There are several different rumors making there way around the castle but in all of them, there is a single point of agreement. That Severus Snape was forcibly exposed and was reveled to be pregnant. I have been reliably informed that you were present at the incident. Is this true? Were you down by the lake during today's prank against Mr. Snape?"

"Yes, sir."

"And was Mr. Snape exposed?"

Remus hung his head and whispered. "Yes, sir."

"And did it look as if he was expecting."

"Y...no sir." Remus stammered. "I…I mean, I didn't see." Remus lied. Some instinct screamed at Remus to not confirm the secret pregnancy. He had betrayed Severus enough today. He was determined that he would never do it again.

Dumbledore just looked tiredly at Remus for a time. Finally, he gestured and indicated the waiting Gryffindor portrait.

"Go to bed, Mr. Lupin. I am sure the O.W.L.'s and the events of the day have tired you out. But if you change your mind about what you saw, please come and speak to me."

**Boogaroff**: beat it

**clock**: face

**get boxed**(buried)

**'Op it:** get out of here

**nob: **1. A penis. 2. An idiot, an objectionable person. 3. A person of wealth and high social standing, a member of the upper-classes. _Verb. _To have sexual intercourse


	4. Trouble On the Way

**Chapter 4: Trouble on the Way**

_Disclaimer: Severus and all other Harry Potter characters still do not belong to me. Nor do I make or seek to make a profit on them. Well, I'd take a kiss from Severus but he never seems inclined that way…_

Remus ran hard, breath and blood filling his body. Adrenaline fueled him to ever-greater speed … but he ran as a man, not a wolf, and a faceless wizard was chasing him through vast acres of mist. Fear was wedging out almost every thing from his mind, making his heart stutter. Hexes were being cast at him, to bring him down … but so far, he had managed - just barely - to evade them.

He was dreaming. He knew it through his terror; he just could not seem to do anything about it. Knowing did not seem to make the panic he was feeling any less either. Finally, he moved the wrong way, and froze in his tracks as he was hit with a petrification spell.

A cage appeared around him, with bars of ironwood bound by silver. His chaser closed in, and became a raging mob of wizards, who then began to jeer and poke at him though the bars. They thrust sticks in, jabbing hard against his ribs. Stones were thrown, and pain hexes struck his tender skin … making him realize that he was nude. He realized that those who surrounded him intended to beat him to death, and then rip his remains apart for good measure.

Remus could smell the acrid bite of their hatred in the air. The yells had started out as cries of "Wolf" … and "Monster!" Now, though, they had quickly become sexual; "Poofter!" "Fairy!" The faces, originally nameless, turned into those of his closest friends. Loyal, cheerful Peter snarled and spat upon him. Sirius now held the sharpened stick that threatened to impale him with every blow. Jamie's face loomed up, twisted by hate, as he reached in for Remus…

Remus opened his eyes … to James shaking him awake.

"It's almost breakfast," he said, "You have to get up, sleepyhead. You're already too late for the showers."

Remus lay still for a moment, eyes closed, willing his heart rate to slow. If anything, the dream had only strengthened his last conclusion from the night before. That he was not the type of man to allow any feelings for another man to be acted on. His life was too complex as it was ...

Girls were fine, and it was not as if he ever would be able to allow anyone get that close, given his own secret affliction. Being a werewolf, especially one who was not Alpha male, made any likelihood of a true mating virtually impossible. Moreover, relationships between humans and werewolves rarely worked out well enough to be lasting.

Besides which, Remus could not think of anything more impossible than a relationship with Snape. It was absurd. Any stray longings Remus might currently suffer were therefore to be written off, as the aberrations they were, and firmly suppressed. Concentrate on somehow making up to him for what you did, he told himself firmly. Show him you know what you did was wrong and that you won't do it again. His friend once again interrupted his thoughts.

"Hey," James said, "Are you alright there? You didn't have another nightmare, did you?"

Remus hesitated. He didn't want to talk about it as he usually did … but he also didn't want his friend to know what his nightmare had been about. It was too different from the normal pre-moon jitters he had, the ones that usually featured him turning or killing someone.

"Probably more stress about tests than anything bothering me." He said, "Plus it's the last day before the full moon and all that."

"I know it's close to the moon but Prongs, Padfoot, and Wormtail will be with you." James said, "You'll be fine." He smiled brightly as he reassured Remus.

"Yeah, it'll be fun!" Sirius, who had walked into the dorm in time to catch the last, chimed into the conversation. "We'll all have a blast!"

He was toweling his hair dry, being careful to leave it a little wild. Both Sirius and James firmly believed that keeping some tangles in their hair helped their success with the girls. Given the flirting that was routinely directed at them, they might even have been right. To Remus, though, it just looked messy. He also suspected that the two boys' natural charm and general good looks had far more to do with their success in getting girls' attentions, than their hair.

Remus just smiled at his friends while he quickly dressed; he was glad to have such good chums that they were willing to take the risks they had to become Animagii for him. However, he did wish that they better understood that their voluntary changes could not compare to the coming of his beast side. When the wolf took over, it ripped his mind from him. It seized every part of his sense of self, and filled him with a fierce and terrible wildness.

He always fought the Change as it came, but that tactic only seemed to enrage his feral beast, and give it strength. What he had was not a mere shape shifting; it was a true curse that only the strongest of precautions had kept him from spreading. Or worse … for his wolf side was crazed, and intensely desired the kill. It thirsted for the taste of blood and death.

Despite the wolf's relative calm and playful side with the other boys' Animagus forms, the full moon was never 'fun' for him. Even with his friends' accompaniment this year, he had many times woken from the Change back to human form, with the raw flesh and blood of forest creatures in his mouth.

Remus swallowed down his nausea at those memories, and made for the door. "Lets go eat." He said.

Breakfast had not gone too badly for Snape; Remus reflected a mere hour later. He just hoped that the trend would continue. Snape had attempted to slip in unnoticed, but was pounced on by several of the bolder students as soon as he had made his way past the door.

Most of the student body craned their heads to get a look at him and loud murmurs of surprise arose for his audacity in even showing up. Sirius got an all too familiar gleam in his eye as soon as he spotted the dark Slytherin, and started to speak.

Remembering his resolution to help, Remus firmly attempted to distract his fellow Gryffindors by mentioning the difficult Transfiguration and Charms exams that the boys would be facing today, and asking who needed last minute help with Charms, as he wanted to trade.

At first, this tactic worked, as the attention of his fellow Marauders refocused on their test fears. Professor McGonagall had made clear to all four boys that she expected only the highest marks from them in both subjects. While Charms came easily for Remus, Transfiguration was not his strong point. Conversely, the other three, while having trouble with Charms, had proven themselves extremely adept at Transfiguration. Their grasp of the subject was proven by their phenomenal (though illegal) success at becoming Animagii for him.

While they talked, out of the corner of his eye Remus could see Snape drawing himself into a haughty stance, and glaring at his confronters. At first, it looked like he would be swamped again … but as usual, Snape soon rallied. Slipping his wand out and scowling deeper, he must have also muttered a few effective threats as the students who had approached him soon turned pale and quickly, meekly melted out of his way.

Fear written all over their faces, they practically plugged the large doorways in their haste to leave the Hall and Snape behind. With a small pang of admiration, Remus wished he had been close enough to hear what the Slytherin had said to cause such a scurry. It was amazing how intimidating the boy could be when he needed to stand up to someone. Of course, the Marauders themselves could testify to that.

The commotion at the door drew the attention of many of the teachers at the head table. Several looked blankly confused at the minor fracas, showing that they were not yet in the loop, but a few such as McGonagall and the headmaster showed by their grave stares and frowns that they were clearly in the know.

Luckily, their attention was quickly drawn off Snape by the visiting examiner seated between them, who indulgently made a comment regarding the stresses of O.W.L.S. and the effect on student tempers. Cheekily, Professor Flitwick replied (to the general amusement of much of the head table) that O.W.L. stress did not only affect the students, and that he had often wished to be able cast the occasional Hex during test sessions. That brought the teachers back to discussions of test difficulties.

Meanwhile, a determined looking Snape had coolly made his way to his normal seat at the Slytherin table, apparently unsurprised to discover that his regular seatmates had left empty places to either side. While it was clear that Snape was still the subject of much of the conversations around him, it was also clear that few wanted to tangle with him while he was in this mood … and under the teachers' eyes. The Slytherin table seemed content to ignore Snape's very existence, and treat him more like a pariah then normal.

The relative peace however, lasted only until Greta Catchlove, a pretty 5th year Hufflepuff gossip, was loudly heard to refer to the incident of the day before … and to make things worse, she began to list the students who had been seen to manhandle Snape, starting with Sirius. Her voice, always somewhat piercing, had somehow taken over the great hall during a relative lull in the general chatter. It drew everyone's attention back to the Slytherin boy, who was still calmly eating. Aside from a slight tightening of his shoulders, Snape displayed no other sign of tension; his face remaining a scorn-filled mask.

Their neighbors now informed those few who had not yet heard every details of the event by the lake … with each telling, the story became a little different. Arguments soon arose about what exactly had happened, by whom, to whom, what the uncovered secret was (of course) … and what it all meant.

The normal sound levels in the Great Hall more than quadrupled by the ensuing gossip. Even the teachers started to share rumors about the incident. Immediately Peter himself began to regale the Gryffindor table once again with the details. A part of Remus's mind noted that the tale had become quite polished, boding well for Peter's ambitions to write. The other part raced to find a way to head off any trouble that might come from the current regurgitating of the story.

He could see that both James and Sirius had narrowed all of their attention down to Snape. Normally Sirius would have chimed in to Peter's efforts, and made sure he held a major part of the attention. Now, though, his focus was solely on troublemaking. He flicked his eyes quickly to Jamie and - using the intimate comradery that they had shared since near infanthood (which both Remus and Peter sometimes envied), the two boys silently began to make a plan.


	5. This Hell is Home

**Chapter 5: **This Hell is Home

_  
Author's note: In the course of writing this chapter, I put in a famous insult. The first one who can identify both the insult and the original speaker will get to name and describe a bit character. Post any answers._

_And as always, many thanks to my wonderful beta: **electromoon. **Also, thanks to The Harry Potter Lexicon, without which I would often be lost._

_Disclaimer: Severus and all other Harry Potter characters still do not belong to me. Nor do I make or seek to make a profit on them. Well, I'd take a kiss from Severus but he never seems inclined that way_

**Severus had found himself waking in his dark supply room hideaway. The house elves, taking pity on him yet again, had slipped a pillow under his head - and covered him with blankets of Slytherin colors. By now, it was almost a habit with them. **

**With a quick internal inventory, he catalogued his remaining injuries: some particularly deep bruises, lingering aches, and a bothersome overall stiffness. They just made him feel as if he was back home in Manchester. A nuisance to deal with, but his father had him well tutored in coping with the aftermath of a clash.**

**Unfortunately, the room was far too near the kitchen for comfort. The house elves must have already started cooking the Hogwarts breakfast that growing bodies normally yearned for. Since the beginning of his condition, even the slightest aroma turned his stomach badly. **

**Today eggs, bacon, haggis sausages and black pudding were clearly on the menu … if his nose was at all correct. It was only by dint of frequent practice with rapid swallows and controlled breathing that Severus was able to stave off his stomach's attempts to empty itself. He noted that the elves had this time left him a handful of breakfast crackers and some weak milky tea. While he was grateful for the kindness, Severus wondered just what that meant regarding rumors of his pregnancy.**

**After tidying up the elves' leavings, Severus made his way to his dorm room, to change his clothes and grab the books he would need to review at the last moment, before leaving for breakfast. He had to ignore the various gossiping murmurs and occasional taunts of Hogwart's many portraits wherever he went. He had known that the day was going to be terrible; he just had not thought it would be inanimate objects that would begin the torment. It was far easier to stare down those members of his House who tried to speak to him, than to intimidate conglomerations of colorful paint on magical canvases.**

**As he approached the Great Hall double-door entranceway, Severus paused to remind himself to be strong and visibly unaffected by whatever his fellow students tried to dish out. Ignore those he could … and be on the offensive with the rest. On a day like this, aloofness, intimidation, and threats were his best tactics. **

**Really though, that just made today resemble nearly every other day.**

He had tried to slip in unnoticed in the test-day fever, but several daring students instantly approached him as he entered the Hall. There were only four from Gryffindors, nobody from his year. A quick glance at the Gryffindor table showed the Marauders deep in conversation … and seemly unaware of him, yet. Five were curious Ravenclaws, and three valiant Hufflepuffs, but none were from his House.

House solidarity combined with caution, he thought.

It was clear that the students not going to let him by without some confrontation … but he knew it would be a dreadful mistake to show any fear. They began to crowd him, which sent a jolt of dread down his spine. **He could not begin to handle even the start of another mob scene like the one he had endured the day before. He pulled out his wand surreptitiously, holding it low enough so that most in the hall could not see unless they were looking for it. It only slowed the imbeciles!**

**For a few heart-stopping moments, Severus believed he would have to openly Hex somebody in the Great Hall, in front of the faculty. In addition, he was all too aware of Dumbledore's heavy stare coming from the head table. No twinkles were in those eyes for _him_.**

"I believe I've invented a Curse that might be almost as painful as the Cruciatus. It may also madden." Severus narrowed his eyes, and smirked menacingly as he brandished his wand. "I'll need to find a test subject for practice before it's ready for any of my tiffs with the Marauders."

He leaned towards the now visibly alarmed students and smiled his nastiest.

"Which of you are going to help me test it first?" He purred, threateningly.

He must have been extremely convincing, or perhaps more than just the Marauders thought him a dark wizard now. Either way, those who had approached him now scattered satisfyingly quickly. He almost laughed at the way they jammed themselves in the wide doorway trying to get away.

Putting a remote look on his face, he made his way to his normal place at the Slytherin table. The seats to either side and across from him were pointedly empty. He hid the pang of sadness that swept over him when he realized how completely his fellow Slytherins intended to shun him.

He had never been much more than the uncanny boy who would do a bit of tutoring for a few Sickles, or even a Potion for a couple of Galleons … but he did have a small sort of camaraderie with a handful of his fellow Slytherins. Now, though, he simply did not exist for any of them. Severus kept his head up; his face composed, and ate what little he could stomach.

When he left, he used a small table in the Trophy Room to quickly revise before the Charms O.W.L. He'd almost always found the musty Trophy Room deserted by students, except during detention hours … and it was conveniently down the corridor from Charms classroom. Its only drawback was the intermittent and irritating occupancy by the school's annoying poltergeist, Peeves, who often dozed while bobbing over the crystal display cases.

Severus was extremely confident of his skills in Charms, as it was one of many classes where he consistently made top marks. Still, a quick look at his well-loved books would steady him for the ordeal of dealing with his fellow students ...

All too soon, the time arrived for the examination.

Severus was careful to be almost late in getting to the airy classroom; too late for him too be accosted easily. The stern eyes of the Ministry examiner helped keep the class's minds on the tasks at hand. Many of his fellow pupils still had their books out, franticly trying to absorb what they could since this test was the theoretical one, far tougher than the practical.

For once, no one was staring dreamily out the immense window that overlooked the front drive.

This frenzy of concentration allowed him to take his seat without challenge or other trouble, aside from a little moment of horror at being forced close to a member of the gang of four. To discourage cheating, the students were rearranged, with the Houses mixed in small pockets across the room.

Severus had found himself paired with Pettigrew, whom he considered the least overtly obnoxious of the Marauders. Remus may be currently repentant, but it had always been clear that he knew what his friends did was wrong, and yet he still participated … or ignored his responsibilities to try to end the pranks.

On the other hand, while the pudgy boy often cheered and encouraged the cruelty of Potter and Black out of some sort of misplaced idolization; he neither instigated nor made excuses for the boys' behavior. Severus also suspected that he had been subject to his own forms of persecution with in the house of Gryffindor, and that led him to a certain grudging sympathy for the unctuous little toady.

For his part, Pettigrew give the impression of being so unsure about the test that he said little to Severus, beyond their initial pro-forma exchange of insults.

"Keep away; I don't want a dung-puncher like you contaminating me!"

"So speaks the village idiot. That was a truly shining example of the infamous Gryffindor wit. Such a glorious use of the English language!" Snape's tone cut as if made for surgery. He knew that the less magically talented Pettigrew aspired to become a novelist.

Astoundingly, Pettigrew only responded with a nasty grin.

"You'll get yours soon enough, Snape. Don't worry."

The sense of foreboding that comment brought him gave Severus a headache that lasted throughout the exam. There was no more time for banter, though, as the test soon commenced, and both boys fell to the task at hand.

Severus finished the hours-long test with ease, and was enough satisfied with his answers to turn in his Scroll early and ask Professor Flitwick and the examiner to be excused. Potter and company were so absorbed with the exam, they seeming failed to notice his hasty exit. The exception was Lupin, but he merely gave Severus one of his strangely deep looks then went back to writing.

**Lunch **seemed fortunately uneventful at first; it looked like word of his threats had spread as he saw many looks pass his way, but no one dared approach. Again, he took his normal place at the Slytherin table, taking care to not allow himself to show any hurt. The places to either side of him remained depressingly empty.

He could see the Gryffindor troublemakers all turn towards him, staring and mocking him. Lupin seemed strangely distressed when their eyes met this time. He mouthed something silently at Severus, but it was not clear what. Tension ate at Snape's composure, coiling tight in his belly.

After a few more minutes, Potter swaggered over. He had the gall to actually seat himself next to Severus! It was a measure of his House's rejection of Snape that no firmer objection arose to the Gryffindor's invasion then a few hisses and one meager catcall. Severus scowled, and scooted his chair a few inches farther from Potter.

Unusually, Potter ignored the negativity direct against him.

"Snape, old boy, I was wondering just how **_did_** you get yourself preggers?" Potter exclaimed with patently false cheer, as he attempted to clasp Severus around the shoulders, "After yesterday, Sirius and I made a bet about it that I'd like to settle." Whispers from eagerly listening students broke out around them.

Recoiling, Severus directed a look of pure hatred at the other boy, willing him to die where he sat.

"Keep your hands off me, you barmisod!"

"Now, now Snape. You're not holding a grudge from yesterday, are you?" Potter asked with raised eyebrows, pretending surprise. The bastard had to audacity to direct an apologetic seeming smile towards him.

"Get away from me before I decide your head would look good stuffed and mounted in the Slytherin common room!"

"Make me, you poncy nutter!"

Severus's rage at Potter baiting him had caused his normally keen sense of who was near him to be refocused to the current object of his wrath.

From somewhere behind his back, someone murmured; "_Inferorum Animas Famelicus Ciconia Ciconia_."

He heard the spell being cast behind him, even felt the tingle of a curse against his legs - but all his attention was on Potters hands, which had suddenly moved to take his wrists in a bruisingly hard grip. He could not turn. A couple of his fellow Slytherins, including the younger Black said words in his defense, but most still ignored his plight.

Severus twisted his wrists in an escape move that he had learned long ago in self-defense. Normally he would never stoop to the physical, as he had learned from the Manchester street bullies that his thin gangly body was unsuited to fights … but now, he saw red. His eyes blazed as if a door had been opened to a furnace. This boy attacking him was the author of so much of his current troubles.

Instead of reaching for his wand, Severus grabbed at Potter, and caught him by the arm … twisting it brutally enough to knock both Potter, himself and their chairs over. They both hit the floor hard. Punches flew as calls of "Fight! Fight!" broke out around them.

Plenty of students were now gathered round the two fighting boys to watch the unusual spectacle of a brawl breaking out in the Great Hall. Many of the Gryffindor onlookers were yelling for Potter to "finish off the ugly poof".

The occupants at the high table for the most part reacted typically. The Headmaster and Professor McGonagall quickly moved over to stop the combat. A few of the other teachers simply looked at each other resignedly, before following their lead. Others grumbled, while the rest tried to make light of the event to the appalled Ministry examiners.

The Professors made their way from the high table dais toward the disturbance to reassert control, but almost simultaneously, there came a frenzied invasion by dozens of huge white birds, halting them in their tracks. This incursion was far more intense then the daily thundering of the Post Owl deliveries. The sounds of the bird's bills clattering and rattling combined with their powerful wing-flaps to become an echoed roar within the Hall.

Screams arose; the loudest mostly came from the students closest to the fighting action as the apparently enraged birds determinedly converged on the now barely visible form of Snape. Many in the hall panicked. Others tried to get underneath the nearest tables, chairs overturning in their wake. Confusion and chaos suddenly reigned.

The first time Severus was more then peripherally conscious of the invasion, was when he felt several razor-sharp jabs attack his legs … just as Potter moved to swiftly disengage from their fight. Startled, he let go of the Gryffindor, and rolled to confront his new attackers.

It was storks! Great white ones with six-foot wingspans, and long red bills that jabbed and snapped at his legs. He tried to roll away from the riled birds, but their full attention was solely on him … especially his lower half. His legs and buttocks took the worst of their attacks.

Desperate, Severus kicked out as best he could while curling and using his arms to protect his midriff. That only enraged them further. One of the largest pulled back its head, hissing angrily as his wildly flailing foot made contact … before striking down at him again, this time plunging its bill deep into his right thigh.

He tried to get his wand out while still protecting his baby, but there was no way to do it without exposing his occupied belly to those dangerous jabs. He could feel blood pooling underneath him, sticky and warm. Soon he was smeared everywhere with it. The coppery smell of it made him gag, even as he tried again to roll under the Slytherin table, seeking its hope of protection. It was too late; the striking birds surrounded him. As far as he could see, no one else was the focus of any attack.

More and more birds fought to get to him, their powerful wings struck as much at him as they did at each other. After the third time a deranged stork gave him a forceful clout on the head, it seemed to him as if the room began to spin. The rest was a confused mass of impressions, like a haphazard, old rubbish-heap.

The clack of beaks combined with shouts and screams to make a harsh music; accompanied by white wings decorated with ruby blood thrashing the air. The scared, pallid faces of Regulus Black and Sonia Nettlebaum peered out from the beckoning shelter of the heavy Slytherin table, and for one short moment, it seemed as if they were reaching for him … then more long stork legs, and another stabbing bill.

Potter, safe and sound, grinned from under the other table. Feathers drifted as the bird's attacks on each other mounted in their excitement.

Severus could hear repeated cries of _"Stupefy!"_ in Dumbledore and McGonagall's loudest voices. After a further minute, other voices joined in.

The swarm of birds thinned, as several at a time were knocked unconscious by the spell. As the birds were tamed, Madame Pomfrey, concerned for her student's well-being first and foremost as always, had already begun assessing the damage. Aside from a few of the nearest mostly Slytherin students, who had also been buffeted by wings, none initially seemed injured much beyond bruising.

Many of the younger ones were still crying and wailing from fear, and some seemed totally hysterical. Even a couple of the Ministry officials seemed panic-stricken by the events. But it was immediately clear that Severus was by far the worst off.

As soon as the birds surrounding Severus were subdued, Madame Pomfrey rushed over to kneel beside him and begin his treatment. Her face was reddened from fright, her voice anxious … but her touch was both gentle and sure. She took out her wand to diagnose the worst of his wounds.

Severus blanched and shaking reached to grabbed at her hand. "NO! I … I mean it's just the cuts and some bruises. And whatever started …that … it was a Hex …"

Madame Pomfrey frowned.

"It'll be alright. I'm just going to cast an emergency diagnostic spell."

With tears suddenly filling his wide eyes, Severus stammered quietly. "P.p.p.please don't. Please!"

Madame Pomfrey searched his features intently; comprehension of something there seemed to dawn upon her open face. His desperation must have been clear.

"That can wait until we get you to the infirmary and some privacy, I suppose. I'll just staunch the worst of it. Tell me if anything hurts too badly," She soothed, "See … most of the deepest wounds are on your legs; I won't even need your robes off while we're still here."

She must have already known something, as her hands never strayed too close to his belly. Her white Mediwitch's apron reddened as she worked.

Severus just nodded with relief. He could see that McGonagall and the Headmaster had finished subduing the birds, and were now directing the collection of their unconscious bodies by Argus Filch, the stern and somber Hogwarts caretaker. McGonagall was directing the groundskeeper Hagrid to release the storks at a safe distance away, after the spell used to call them was confirmed to have been counteracted.

Undoubtedly, Severus would soon be next to be subjected to their undivided attention.

He felt his left hand being held tightly, though it was slippery with blood. He turned his head, expecting that Evan had relinquished his anger in the face of such an attack. Instead, he found that it was Remus Lupin who clutched at him so fiercely.

"They said it wasn't going to be bad … that it would be funny. I tried … I tried to warn you not to turn your back. Didn't you see me?" The supposed Prefect was babbling.

Severus shrank back as far as possible. "Tell it to the Headmaster or your Head of House, but not me! Get away from me!" He dragged his hand free.

It was then that the feather covered headmaster tiredly appeared nearby. His normally splendiferous, violently violet robes were now so completely bedraggled, that Severus actually giggled. From the appraising looks that he received, he expected that his laughter must have sounded more hysterical then mirthful.

Passing his gaze over Severus himself and casting a strong, tingling _Finite_ spell, Dumbledore then redirected his attention to the mediwitch.

"How is he?"

"Headmaster, he's bleeding extensively. I need to see to some of these wounds immediately before we came move him to the infirmary. As you can tell, those storks bit him deeply. Their beaks are needle sharp."

Dumbledore appeared deeply saddened by her answer, but his next comment dispelled any momentary illusion of care that Severus might have held.

"I expect you'll be comprehensive in treating him, Madame Pomfrey. I will not have the boy suffering from anything undetected. Be quite thorough. "

"Of course, Headmaster."

Madame Pomfrey gave an affronted acknowledgment of the headmaster's implicit orders. The idea of full medical testing chilled Severus completely through. His mind raced, trying to find any escape. However, he was hurt too badly to even try to walk away.

Deputy Headmistress, McGonagall neared them, also coated with feathers and other debris. She seemed more affected by the dust and feathers, as she had to stifle four rapid, lady-like sneezes. She tiredly righted a chair with a wave of her wand, and then sat down heavily. It must have been damaged in the ruckus, for it wobbled greatly as she did so.

"The final count will be well over three hundred, Albus. Three hundred storks! And the students are completely stricken, emotionally if not physically."

"I expect that it was a nasty prank that had gone well out of control." Dumbledore replied, "A rather pointed prank … don't you think, Minerva? Apparently, baby legends are on the minds of many of the student body. Did you find who cast the spell?"

"No, Albus, I did not! No one admitted anything of course. Given the main target," … casting a concerned look toward Severus as she spoke … "I checked Sirius Black's wand using _Prior Incantato_, but there was nothing that could have caused this! There were a few spells that shouldn't have been there, mind … but nothing of this nature. No summoning at all. He is clearly innocent. And we **_all_ **are well aware of where James Potter was when the Hex was most likely cast." She gave a disapproving sniff, and her gaze became far less sympathetic as she continued.

"Speaking of which, I'd like to question Mr. Potter and Mr. Snape as to exactly why that disgusting spectacle broke out, before I decide on any punishment."

"Certainly, Minerva."

McGonagall looked around, presumably for Potter.

"No, don't get up. I'll send the child over. Rest yourself. I need to speak with the examiners, anyway. Mr. Snape, I will see you in the infirmary."

With a piercing glance over at Severus, Dumbledore made for the knot of Gryffindors that had split their attentions between Severus's bleeding body and the evicting of the unconscious storks. A moment latter Potter broke away from the group and came to stand in front of McGonagall, taking care to appear ashamed. It made Severus want to spit.

He noted with a little pride that Potter sported some obvious bruises; a small gash at his lip, and a rapidly blossoming shiner. Apparently, Hogwarts athletes were not as physically resilient as Manchester street toughs were.

"You wanted me, Professor?" Butter would not melt in Potter's mouth.

"Perhaps you'd care to explain how this started, Mr. Potter? Just why would you become engaged in a common brawl?"

"I was trying to apologize for…something, and he cheeked me, Professor McGonagall." Potter presented his most angelic face to the Head of his House; "I tried again, and he made for his wand, so I grabbed his hands."

To Severus's horror, McGonagall seemed beguiled by Potter's story. Her prim, angry scowl had actually softened!

That's not true!" Severus could not stop himself from interrupting.

"Quiet, Mr. Snape. I will get to you soon enough. Continue Mr. Potter."

"But he grabbed …"

"That is enough, Severus! It is Mr. Potter I want to hear from now."

Pomfrey patted him; "Don't agitate yourself, keep calm." She said, trying to pacify him.

"Next thing I knew, Snape was hitting me. Then birds came. I don't know how … maybe those storks had some current reason for visiting him." A snide tone had crept into Potter's voice.

Snape tried again, "The stork spell! It was one of his friends who …"

"Mr. Snape, I assure you that you will have your turn to defend yourself. Later." McGonagall promised, her mouth setting into an even firmer line … if that was possible.

It was then that Madame Pomfrey announced that Severus's injuries had been sufficiently bound, and that he could be safely removed to the Hospital Wing as soon as she had checked further on the severity of other students' injuries.

"_Sonorus!_"

Back at the disheveled head table dais, the Headmaster held his wand to his throat in order to make an announcement.

"Attention, Hogwarts teachers and staff! Due to this grave disruption of normal school activities … and the injury of many of our students of Hogwarts, I have decided to cancel the afternoon's classes. In addition, with the permission of our Ministry guests, I would like to also postpone the Transfiguration exam, in deference to the strained nerves of most of us. Students should check their House boards for notice of test rescheduling."

The Headmaster then cast a serious eye around the room. "If anyone has information that will help us find the culprit behind today's disturbance, please see Professor McGonagall or myself." He paused, fixing first Potter … and then Severus with a stern glower. "Additionally," he said, "if there is a single further incident that involves serious injury to a student, I assure you that expulsion will be the foremost punishment considered."

Great! Just typical … the Headmaster was threatening him, even as he lay injured. Severus laid odds that, between Dumbledore and McGonagall, it would be decided that everything that had happened would be his fault, before he'd even got to the infirmary.

Madame Pomfrey finished with her quick triage, and casting a Mobilicorpus spell on Severus to transport him, ushered the worst affected students out.

**Barmisod**: a daft loser

**Dung-puncher**

(crass, derog. term) a male homosexual. Also, **Dung-pusher**.

**Nutter** - very popular word for someone crazy

**Poncy: **1 contemptible  
2 effeminate male.- Derog.

**Poofter/poof**: homosexual- Derog.

_**Legend regarding Great White Storks that Black and Potter adapted for their spell.**_

_**To account for the sudden appearance of a new baby in a household, European mothers used to tell their children that a stork brought it. To account for the mother's much needed bed rest, the children were told that before the bird departed, it bit the mother's leg.**_

9


	6. Everone Learns Faster On Fire

**Chapter 6: **Everyone Learns Faster on Fire

By Golum

As always, many thanks to my beta: Electromoon

With the transfiguration O.W.L. postponed, Remus insisted that the Marauders immediately slip away to discuss the consequences of the prank. One look at his furious face had convinced the others to go along quietly.

The somber boys hardly even looked at each other as they made their way outside to a private space underneath the Quidditch stands, where they liked to meet. The sky was darkening with rain clouds as if sensing their mood. Even Peter seemed cross with Jamie and Sirius.

"You were out of line! Both of you!" Remus blared at his so-called friends, once they had gotten to the sheltered spot. "You didn't just hurt Snape this time. More than a dozen kids ended up going to the Infirmary! You scared half the school! Some of the Hufflepuffs even thought that Hogwarts was under attack by Dark wizards. Some of the first years are going to be crying themselves to sleep tonight!"

"Bugger-all to do now!" Sirius muttered defensively, "Most of those hurt were Slytherins, anyway." … But he could not meet Remus's eyes as he said it.

Remus stabbed his finger - still flecked with Snape's blood - in Sirius's face.

"By Merlin, what WERE you thinking? You told me you two were planning a prank, not a massacre! Why shouldn't I turn you all in!" he thundered.

Peter seemed upset with the other two as well. "Yeah, and it was supposed to be against just Snape, not all of us!"

"But it wasn't supposed to go like that! It was supposed to call one stork, two at the most … I swear!" Sirius pleaded for belief; his blue eyes guileless as they focused on Remus.

"He was supposed to just get a peck or two. It was a joke. No one was supposed to really get hurt."

James agreed. "That spell shouldn't have worked like that. I would NEVER have planned that!" He slammed his hand against one of the wooden support beams for emphasis. "No one should have gotten hurt, only that one little bite for Snape, just like in that old wives' tale. No one else should even have gotten scared!"

"I think what went wrong had to do with not using my own wand. I shouldn't have agreed to do it." Sirius admitted glumly.

"Bollocks! My wand works just fine! I may not be as multifaceted a wizard as some … but I can do plenty with that wand!" Peter indignantly huffed as if it was he and not his wand being blamed; "You must have messed up the spell."

"We know your wand's okay!" James assured him, "But Sirius should have taken some practice runs with it. His is plenty stiffer than yours. That may be why the spell was so magnified. We're just lucky it didn't explode and take someone's hand off, or worse." He frowned; "Even the likes of Snape shouldn't have gotten so hurt."

Remus was relieved that both Jamie and Sirius seemed to be mortified. If they had been gloating after what happened, he would have gone straight to McGonagall and informed. He was still immensely angry - but wasn't sure how much of that was his own rightful distress over a prank that had gone so massively awry … and how much was the inner rage of the Beast inside him, so strong being the day before the full moon.

A distant clap of thunder seemed to emphasize his thought. It smelled to Remus as if rain would follow soon. He groaned, as he realized that it would be a fearsomely wet full moon to boot.

"Yeah there was lots of blood. Moony, I saw you run over there. How bad off was the dirty bugger?" Sirius asked.

"Bad enough! Pomfrey looked really worried." Remus was still fuming, though he believed that his friends had not meant to have things go so far.

"She'd gotten the blood stopped before they took him away," James added, "Didn't even look at my face." He laughed, and the others took their first good look at him since the fight. His lip was split and puffy; while his right eye was swollen so badly that it was a wonder he could see through it. "Who knew that Snivelly Snape finally learned how to throw a punch?"

"Well it has been four years since you last tested him on it," Sirius said almost primly, "Even Snivie can learn something in four years."

"Hey, the fight as a diversion was YOUR idea, Padfoot!" Jamie chuckled, "I should give you a bit of this to make us even. He playfully moved as if he would tackle him, but Sirius just stepped back and raised both hands in gesture of surrender.

Jamie caught Sirius's eye then both boys turned to fully face the other two.

"Are we forgiven?"

Remus and Peter exchanged looks.

"Should you be?" asked Remus.

"We're sorry. We both are, right Sirius?"

"Yeah."

"If you want me to forgive and forget, you'll to make me some promises and keep them." Remus warned.

Both Sirius and Jamie looked startled at that. They had been used to receiving absolution from the other two without any penance.

"Guess your taking your Prefect badge a bit seriously there." Jamie ventured

"If I was, I would have stopped all this before it started. But I didn't, and I'd have to explain that if I hauled you guys into McGonagall's office now. In addition, poor Peter would get in trouble when he did not really do much at all. So you'll make some promises!"

It took a moment for the two to decide, but they did give their agreement.

"First, do you promise no more pranks for the rest of the year?"

"You mean big ones, not like sneaking out for snacks or something?"

"Nothing mean. And nothing against Snape!"

"Alright."

Sirius grimaced in distaste. "Yeah, but I reserve the right to self defense!"

"You both help Hagrid muck things out until the term ends, to make up for all the extra work you gave him and Filch."

"Fine."

Sirius just nodded while wrinkling and holding his nose as if already sweeping manure.

Remus ignored him and continued. "Plus, I want you both to apologize to Snape. Sincerely. Jamie can say it's for the fight and Sirius you can say it's for yesterday. You should have done that anyway." Remus held his breathe and waited for the inevitable…

"No WAY. Not even McGonagall tried that!" Jamie's eyes were bugging out.

"I'll apologize if that's what you want Moony. But there's no possibility I can mean it." Sirius's face reddened as he raised his voice. "He's Dark, you know it as well as we do. You've seen the vicious Dark Curses he uses, the spells he's cast … he sliced Jamie's cheek yesterday!"

"In his own defense, yes. I've never seen him start something with anything nasty."

Sirius was indignant, and his fists were clenched. "That doesn't matter. He's still a Dark wizard. And I can say the words to him if I have to. But I can't mean them!"

"Then just say them. For me." Remus replied sadly. He had not expected this to be easy and one of the Gryffindors' characteristic qualities was perseverance in the face of seemingly monumental difficulties and insurmountable obstacles. "… Please."

Two extremely reluctant grunts of agreement were the only response he got.

"It wasn't all bad. At least we didn't get caught for the spell," Jamie shrugged with forced nonchalance, "I got three hundred lines for the fight plus 40 points from Gryffindor. McGonagall said she would give the same to Snivellus, so we're still ahead for house cup. And Pomfrey will tell the Headmaster about whatever Snape's hatching. I overheard one of the Ravenclaw girls talking about male gestation and familiars - apparently there is a Curse of some sort involved."

"We should at least find out exactly what Snape's carrying," Sirius ventured, "That's not a prank so it won't count."

"That's cack! It isn't our business, Sirius!" Remus shot back, "You've made far more than enough trouble already. Who will get hurt next? Anymore and I'm going to McGonagall and Dumbledore. Just lay off Snape!"

"It is our business. We're the ones who discovered it." Replied Sirius, "Who knows why sneaky Snivillus was hiding it. I know we went too far but why are you defending him, anyway? You don't even like him."

"I don't know if I'd like him or not. You two never did anything but hate him! Maybe I'd like to …"

Looking anxious at the apparent renewal of dissension between his friends, Peter interrupted the budding argument.

"Look. It wouldn't hurt to do some research on it. We need a break from exam stuff anyway. Besides it's about to pour."

"Great suggestion, Wormtail." Jamie said throwing a careless arm round the smaller boy.

Remus agreed to the implicit suggestion to drop the Snape issue. It would not do to have his friends realize that he had somehow developed an attraction to the coltish boy. Besides, he would feel calmer in the library, more human.

They made their way across the grounds running from ancient oak to ancient oak for shelter, as Peter had been right. A deluge had poured from the sky very soon as the boys left the shelter of the stands. A simple spell could be used like a Muggle 'Umbella' to stave off the rain, but where would have been the fun in that? The close band of friends needed the races and subsequent muddy roughhousing to blow off steam from their quarrel.

They had tracked over what seemed to be a significant portion of schoolground quagmire before they could reach the Castle's Entrance Hall. Crossing its previously pristine marble floor, they paused only to admire the large quantity of rubies that the Gryffindor hourglass held. Unless the Stork incident came to light, it seemed inevitable that they would win the House Cup again this year - their only real threat being Slytherin.

They found the library filled to bursting; students seemed determined to use their extra time to study rather than play. Or perhaps they were unsettled enough by the stork attack that books seemed the best escape.

The boys were not the only students curious about childbearing; Madam Pince was kept busy continuously re-shelving many of the texts that might reference male pregnancies, while muttering over their sudden popularity. The Marauders each grabbed a couple of books directly from the shelves, though Sirius snatched a promising one right out of Pince's hands with a grin and impish wink.

Apparently, even she was not entirely immune to Sirius's charisma … as she just frowned and did not even bother to chastise or discipline him. Remus just rolled his eyes at how often Sirius's charms had let him get away with murder.

The boys found a semi-private study alcove in the unusually crowded library, by virtue of glaring at a pair of 4th year Slytherins until they packed up their books and moved. For a few minutes, they discussed the depths of the Forbidden Forest that they intended to explore while running with the Werewolf, and reminded each other of adventures during past moons. The other three assured Remus that they would tell him of every encounter and thrill.

This was why Remus could not stay mad at any of the others. His friends had not just accepted the Werewolf inside him; they had spent long risky months of self-study on a dangerous subject just so they could ease his life. By keeping him company as animals, they allowed him the illicit relief of running free without endangering others.

Finally, they turned back to their research and dug in. Each took a few of the books and tried to make sense of what they found. Remus found that his volumes consisted mostly of rumors and legends, many of which turned his stomach with their gruesome details. However, hard facts seemed rare and difficult to glean out without at least a basic understanding of what could create a male pregnancy. And that understanding was exactly what they were lacking.

The Marauder's hard work eventually paid off. They found far more information than they had expected; it was who Peter uncovered the most useful facts. He had been led by his initial research to a thick leather-bound volume that fairly crackled with magical energy despite the dust that covered it.

"Look here!" He showed the group. The small teenager was so excited at having found the reference that he began jumping up and down, giving a brief whoop of joy. Madam Pince, looking completely exasperated, gave him a stern reproving look and motioned him down abruptly. As he retook his seat, he gave an unabashed grin to his fellows. The others reciprocated, and turned their attention to carefully scrutinize the weighty tome.

According to the book, male gestation could occur both 'naturally' and unnaturally. There were a number of disturbing Dark Curses and Potions that could cause the later. If the result of Dark magic was a babe that appears human, the experience often twisted it in body, mind and soul – along with the bearer. The only "cure" for pregnancies believed to be created by Dark magic, was the execution of both father and child … considered in many wizarding places a mercy killing, even for reluctant bearers.

With many of the Dark Potion-created gestations, what the recipient of the magic harbored within his body was not a true baby. Instead, it would be a Nephilim, Gilian, or Jann demon … or even one of many non-humanoid demon broods. The most common of those spells were Familiarus Bejang, used to create an extremely powerful minion that, when fully-grown, had the appearance of a large lizard or weasel-type animal.

The resultant creature would quickly grow to become a familiar bound to either the bearer or the instigating wizard. It would have enormous capabilities controlled by the Dark wizard who created it. The description was followed by a long list of evil possibilities for its use.

To three of the Marauder's, it seemed clear which category Snape fell into. They had often speculated that Snape was a Dark wizard; therefore, he must have wanted an evil minion to boost his already considerable powers.

"That's got to be it! He must be having a Nephilim." Peter exclaimed a bit too loudly earning him another quelling glance from Madam Pince.

Sirius said. "It's probably a Bejang! He's always been a Slytherin weasel. Probably wants a nightmare version of himself!"

"Naw," James chimed in. "It might be a Bejang, but Snape would go for a snake type lizard, don't you think? It would remind him of his mummy! Besides, he could hiss at it and it wouldn't mind."

All the boys laughed. Even Remus found himself with a small chuckle at the well-delivered quip.

"Do you think we should do something? Maybe we should make sure that he isn't bringing a Dark creature into the world! If he is, we could deal with him properly!" Sirius exclaimed excitedly, visions of Auror-like heroics clearly filling his head.

Even Potter gave Sirius a dirty look for that one. "Didn't we risk enough trouble today and yesterday?

Remus, having seen the love on Snape's face as he had held his swelling belly, tried to refrain from making assumptions. Snape had caressed his bulge with a tender hand. Surely, a Dark Arts begotten babe or creature would not have inspired such care. One did not easily love a monster, Remus knew from bitter experience.

Nevertheless, the possibility of Dark Arts involvement of another type did worry at him. It could not really be discounted given the company Snape had been known to keep. Maybe that was why the Headmaster had been so concerned and foreboding about it, Remus thought to himself. Maybe he should have told Dumbledore the truth.

"Is it any of our business anyway? The Headmaster would take care of it if it were Dark Arts. Besides what if it's a natural pregnancy?" Remus audibly replied.

The boys' attentions turned back to the book. In later chapters, it went on to explain that it was a tremendously unusual thing for males to reproduce without the use of the Dark Arts. Even when not a product of Dark magic, male gestation - tied as it was to blatant homosexuality - was often regarded as an abomination … or at best a mixed blessing to be controlled. This was true in most areas of the magical world. The few modern exceptions were certain Caribbean islands, as well as some Pacific Rim cultures who viewed it at as a tremendous boon.

Whenever a 'natural' male gestation occurred, it was one of two extraordinary possibilities. One was an almost irreproducible side effect of one of the many types of complex magical bondings possible, combined with strong magic or emotion from both the fathers during an intimate moment. The offspring conceived by such magic was a normal, though often powerful child.

Or - most rarely or all, 'natural' male gestation occurred because the bearing father was an Iblis Breeder. In all of the recorded history of the western world, there were maybe a few dozen Breeders fully chronicled. It was inevitable that a child born of a Breeder would be especially talented, far more than just highly powerful.

In the days of legends, male-born children were considered divine gifts, worthy of great reverence. It was said that fabled wizards and witches such as Merlin, Deirdre the seer, Cathbad the wise, Circe, and Paculla Ania were all born of an Iblis Breeder. More ominously, the modern wizards Rasputin, Gerald Fitzgerald, and Grindelwald had certainly been documented as such.

According to the book, there was also immense distrust from the modern wizarding population for such a powerful magical sport. So much distrust in fact, that many countries had instituted tight regulations to dictate both the monitoring of any gestation by Bonded males, and the control of Breeders and their offspring.

Depending on the nation, a fecund Breeder could face anything from life-long tracking and 'inspection' with state control of any children, to purposeful attempts to mate the Breeder and confiscate the offspring … to mandatory abortion. In some smaller states, life-long captivity or execution of Breeders and their children was compulsory as soon as the pregnancy was discovered.

Luckily, Breeders were so rare that these laws had rarely, if ever been utilized. The book went on the document the dozen or so instances where it had been.

"Doesn't sound like any of the options are good. Snape's plans with this thing are dangerous whatever it is," James commented, "I bet that the Aurors would be interested in Snape's condition."

Sirius added. "Yeah, I wonder if any of the Professors know. They'd just about have to tell the Ministry! Maybe we should tell…"

"Tell what? Who? We don't know anything for sure yet. Not what, how, or why!" Remus was quick to cut in. "Besides how would we explain how we discovered it in the first place? There are just as likely point deductions and detentions for all of us if we tell. Do you want to admit to either the lake or the stork prank? I think we should leave it alone."

While the other continued the conversation, Remus went back to reading. The idea that any baby could be considered as … or more dangerous than Werewolves had shook him, no matter how powerful they might become.

"Surely, Dumbledore knows by now …" Peter trailed off uncertainly

"Besides," James added as they resumed reading, "we already promised Remus that we wouldn't do anything to Snape before the end of the term."

The book went on to indicate that all male pregnancies, Dark magic or not, held extremely high risks for both wizard and child. Gravid males suffered through uncomfortable, painful symptoms and complications more than the average witch, and far more then a Muggle. The significant drain on the magic of the bearing wizard was highly unsafe and often life threatening.

Of the 'natural' male pregnancies, it was estimated that more than a few babes were lost to the stress of delivery or the abnormality of the pregnancy. Only through repeated magical donations, often by the other genetic father, could the odds be made even marginally more favorable. More than 19 of bearing wizards died from the magical drain associated with making a male pregnancy possible … or else through miscarriage complications, or during the extremely painful birth.

On the other hand, reproduction of an inhuman creature through any of the Dark magical means seemed to have far fewer risks - though many of the same symptoms. Remus felt suffocated by the data; he almost missed the end of the other boy's discussion.

"Maybe we should do something more. If no one else is, I mean." Peter had continued to argue.

"No. Jamie was right. We promised to leave Snape strictly alone until the end of the term.. That's why we need to wait for the train. Then we can do whatever's needed." was Sirius' smiling reply.

The other two seemed satisfied with the proposal … but to Remus, Sirius's usually beloved grin suddenly looked perverse.

**bugger-all**: Absolutely nothing at all. E.g. "There's bugger-all we can do about it now."

**cack**: excrement.

The use of the word sport is to indicate a: mutation/genetic variation


	7. Heal Me Up

Chapter 7: Heal Me Up

_By Golum_

_Author's note- I apologize for the years I've been away from this story. Personal road blocks abounded and then there was the last book... again, I, like my Madam Pomfrey, am sorry. As I took so long a break, I have lost touch with my beta. But I still have my storyline and notes so I'm plunging ahead. I will try to finish this as well as I can. Thanks to all my reviewers who kept nudging me. Oh- and also, sorry about the cliffie but the pacing was kinda calling for it. _

_Disclaimer: Severus and all other Harry Potter characters do not belong to me. Sad and disturbing as still that is to me… Frankly, I'm broken-hearted about it._

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The voyage from the ground floor Great Hall to the first floor infirmary took far longer than normal due to the large number of wounded and the mental state of many of the injured students. Unfortunately for Severus, extra time wasn't helping him to find a way out of the diagnostic spell trap in which he was caught. Soon the headmaster would have a verification that Severus was "breeding" and then things would get far worse for Severus and his baby.

During her triage, Madame Pomfrey had determined that a baker's dozen of the other students would initially report to the hospital wing in addition to Professor Kettleburn and one of the Ministry's test examiners. Both men had been seriously jabbed while trying to stupefy a rather large knot of frantic storks. Those students who just had bruises or scrapes that their heads of house couldn't handle would report to her later after the serious wounds were patched up. She instructed the Heads of House and teachers, who were handling the minor cuts and scrapes, to also send on any who could not calm down or who were discovered to be hurt worse than had been originally thought.

The small convoy was led by a bloodstained Kettleburn, who hobbled with a rather practiced air. It seemed that his injured right leg had been slashed by the bird's bills and was now almost as stiff as the wooden left one. The hapless teacher always seemed doomed to injury, both in his Care of Magical Creatures class and out. Severus was glad that the O.W.L.S. for that class had already been given as Kettleburn would undoubtedly be tetchy about being injured by such non-magical creatures as storks. Severus floated at the back near Madam Pomfrey. She kept a close eye on the students while animatedly discussing the bird attack with the injured examiner.

More than a few of the injured students were younger and still sobbing agitatedly as they limped into the entrance hall and up the marble stairs. Some of the more kindhearted denizens of the paintings along the hallway threw out expressions of sympathy and concern to the students. The rather mawkish witch just outside the doors of the Great Hall even left her meadow to pace through the paintings along their route. Apparently, one of the injured was a multi-great grandniece. And someone had clearly told the Bloody Baron of the attack as the ghost was soon trailing along behind.

Rabastan Lestrange, one of the sixth year Slytherin prefects, was both one of the minority who had been seriously bitten other than Severus and the oldest injured. His wounds had been acquired when he threw himself between several storks and some of the Slytherin fifth year girls he coveted. Heroics like that would serve him well in the dating games that went on. He helped Pomfrey by gently herding the younger Slytherins, Hufflepuffs and the lone Ravenclaw but he gave a cold shoulder to the two rather bedraggled 4th year Gryffindor girls and the one bitten young Gryffindor firstie boy. Severus might well not have existed as far as Rabastan reacted to him, despite Severus having tutored him for years.

Severus noticed that the youngest Gryffindor was walking nearest to him while knuckling his eyes stealthily. The child seemed unsteady in his movements as he ascended the stairway; he clung to the banister as if he were in dire need of its support. It had Severus wondering if his tormentors cared how much they damaged people whom they were supposed to be allied with. This boy was supposedly one of their allies, was a member of their house but here he was bleeding– though not as much as Severus. Severus hoped that their house-mates would hold them accountable in some way. Or would Gryffindors just accept the harm as some kind of friendly fire in the endless war between the houses.

He found himself patting the little lion on the back surreptitiously and murmuring a little encouragement under his breath. He even spelled one of the stray stork feathers still sticking to him into a handkerchief then slipped it to the child with a mutter to wipe his face. Luckily no one caught him comforting the boy.

Pregnancy hormones were making him soft he supposed.

Only one student was already in residence in the Infirmary Wing; a younger girl who curiously peered past her lunch tray at the bedraggled newcomers.

Most of the injured were soon settled on the cots that lined the main healing hall; Severus was floated by Pomfrey to one of the private rooms in the back. The lack of portraits on it's walls gave it the illusion of granting medical privacy but Severus knew better. He had used this room as a welcome sanctuary during his numerous infirmary stays back when Madam Pomfrey's caring eyes and hands had persuaded him to trust her with his secrets.

He had made a mistake naming his father as the cause of his scars. Madam Pomfrey had lied to him, promised him a shoulder he could cry on without fear of betrayal. She had claimed that her oaths would keep her quiet. The arrangement had held for years. It had been an immense relief to Severus to have one adult he could trust and who didn't treat him as an exasperating inconvenience.

But after fourth year spring holiday break, she had revealed his home life and medical files to the headmaster when his father had gone a bit farther then normal. The meddling old fool had promptly written to Severus's father Tobias about Severus's wounds expressing alarm at his "deplorable condition" and his "optimism" that Tobias would be "more patient" with his "difficult boy". Dumbledore then sent Severus back home for the summer to deal with the repercussions alone.

With kind murmurings, of the sort Severus would once been greatly comforted by, Madam Pomfrey levitated him off the stretcher and gently onto the bed, then left to oversee the others settled to her satisfaction. He could hear her give brisk detailed instructions to the house- elves who regularly assisted her. Their well-trained hands could heal many less serious wounds and with her supervision and instruction could even mend broken bones or assist in operations.

He felt a small kick to his bladder. It was the first kick he'd felt since beginning lunch; his relief was such that he had to blink back tears. He had not known how worried he had been about the baby's safety just because of the absence of those small jabs to his insides.

As he suspected, it wasn't too long before Madam Pomfrey came back to Severus's room. It was clear that he was the most urgent [and most difficult] of her patients. A large silver tray crammed with potions and salves and unguents floated behind her. All her favorites were there, in a fetching array of purples, blues, oranges and foul-smelling green.

How was he going to save his baby from Dumbledore and the Ministry's "terrible" choices? Imprisonment, forced abortion even at this late date, life-long monitoring were among the possibilities he had read about. Not that he was sure of any of it; the books he had read differed as to the consequences of his situation. Severus's head pounded in time with his racing heart.

Madam Pomfrey looked a fright. Blood had spattered her and there still were feathers stuck here and there, the laugh lines around her eyes were replaced with worry, her hair pins had been dislodged sometime during the stork attack, and even her uniform cap sat cockeyed upon her head.

"May I cast a diagnostic now?" Her compassionate voice was much more tentative then usual.

His grip on his wand tightened.

She must have seen how close to the edge he was. "No? Very well, not now but soon Severus. I will be having to check you more very soon. Until I fully know your condition, I can't give you any serious pain treatment. But I do want you to take this minor pain potion and I will use a numbing agent on your wounds as before I tend them. How about that?"

"NO!!!" He shouted moving to sit up against the headboard. He was panicking and he knew it.- some pain agents could be deadly or damaging to the baby. " No pain agents- just healing charms!"

"But Severus..."

" I said NO!!"

" Alright, Severus. We'll do this your way. For now. But lets start by cleaning you up and you tell me if anything starts hurting too badly. Then we'll figure out what we can do then. Is that acceptable?" She was clearly humoring him much the way she had when he had been so leery of her back in first year.

She approached him cautiously despite his lack of answer. Not the caution of the fearful as many others in the school, even some of the teachers, regularly approached Severus. But instead with the caution of the caring,who don't want to be the cause of injury to someone. She smiled and tried to tell him that things would be alright as she conjured a bowl of saponaceous water and a flannel and began to clean his scratched and bitten hands and forearms. Her fingers could be so gentle.

She always did that. Made him feel valuable.

Vulnerable.

And he must remember that she lied just like the rest. That her promises were not to be trusted.

Tension ratcheted higher and higher within him. How could he protect his child or himself?

"Severus, these robes really do need to go in order for me to treat you further. Let's get you into a gown and finish cleaning you up." She used her most persuasive voice, allowing him the illusion that he had a choice.

His robes and trousers were more tatters then cloth. So far those tattered clothes been sufficient to disguise his condition but it was irrational to believe that they would continue to do so. Still he found himself shaking his head emphatically, as if a student's "no" would stop her.

"Please, Severus. Let me help you! I only want to help you."

"Like you helped me before I suppose?" He hissed.

"I had to do something, Severus. I was afraid for you. Your father ..." She bit back whatever she had intended and started a new tack. "I'm sorry for revealing your secrets. I shouldn't have done it without your notification or permission. "

He couldn't look her in the face as she would see the tears forming in his eyes, but her voice sounded sincere to him despite his attempt at disbelief.

It hurt worse than those healing chants she was using but he refused to let her see how much by flinching.

She took a deep breath and started again. "I thought that by following the school rules and reporting your injuries to the headmaster that you would get the help you deserve. I wanted to get you help so badly that I revealed your situation even though I knew you would hate me for it. But I was wrong, Severus. My promises to you were important. I took away your choices and made your situation worse."

Another deep sigh.

"I made a mistake Severus. One I wish I could change but I can't. Not all the magic in the world can let me take back what I did to you. However much I wish it would. I am sorry, Severus."

She patted his hand as if he was still a first year then moved towards his feet and gently took off his ill-fitting heavily repaired boots. A wave of her wand checked the work she had done on his during triage to see that it was holding.

"I've already put temporary pressure spells on your legs and hips. There's still a lot of work there but let's continue at the top and work our way down to the worst. Alright?"

She began to strip him by cutting off his already well torn sleeves. The material was stuck stuck to his flesh and in places had worked its way into revealing the abrasions, lacerations, and deep gouges he had received. It sharpened his already extensive pains to have the cloth removed, but it was the possible revelation of his condition that made him pull away.

"No more. Stop there!"

"For now," she agreed quietly.

As she spoke, her compassionate hands kept up their steady, thorough work of cleaning a swath of skin then charming his flesh back together.

After a time, Madam Pomfrey came to a place on his upper arm where a coin-sized chunk of flesh was missing. She picked up one of her purple salves only to find that Severus had flinched away.

"Stop!" He demanded again.

"If I'm going to heal this properly I will have to-"

"I can't."

"I'm not understanding you, I'm afraid." Her expression seemed as puzzled as her voice.

"I can't use those right now."

"Why ever not?"

"I can't take the side effects."

"Severus Snape!" He was in real trouble – Madam Pomfrey's hands had snapped to her hips as her voice rose indignantly. "I am not only a well trained and experienced midi-witch, but I've been YOUR medi-witch for the last 5 years! Well, not since I spoke the headmaster... but I assure you that your recent boycott of my infirmary has not meant that I have forgotten my most frequent patient of the last few years! I still know everything you've shown the slightest sensitivity to while I've treated you. And I will..."

Fortunately, at that moment, one of the infirmary elves popped in and interrupted her speech. " We have a couple of questions about one or two of the students and we have a visitor who wishes to check on the students."

Now that Severus was focused on more then just the medi-witch in front of him, he could tell immediately that it wasn't Dumbledore the elf was referring to. Professor Horace Slughorn, Head of the House of Slytherin, had apparently made an appearance in the ward. Severus could hear his booming laugh and jovial voice as he paid special attention to his favorites among the wounded especially Rastaban. It's volume was such that Severus scornfully thought tit more appropriate to a roaring quidditch crowd. He really was a nuff!

Madam Pomfrey made a small moue of exasperation. " That man! He's so oily to anyone he thinks he can ensnare in his web of friends!"

Someone must have directed the portly potion's professor to the examination room as he opened the door before Madam Pomfrey could get to it. His silvering mustache still held a bit of stork feather caught in one of the long handles. It made him even more ludicrous looking then normal.

"Ahh...There you are, my dear! I had hoped to find out how my Slytherins were getting along?" A side-long glance at Severus indicated genuine curiosity if not caring about his condition. Undoubtedly his coterie of informants among the Slytherins had whispered a confusing set of rumors into his ears. " And I need to speak to this boy about the events in the Great Hall, of course."

Pomfrey's lips set in a firm and reproving line.

"I'm afraid it's much too soon for all this, Professor. _Severus,_" She emphasized sternly, "is far too shaken and wounded for you to be haranguing him now! Severus here had the worst of it- and while he needs a great deal more healing- he will be fine. The others will also. But as you can see I have my hands rather full at the moment, so please..." She indicated the door.

"Of course my dear! I also wondered if you had everything you need?" Slughorn, who made many of the potions Pomfrey used in her healing ran a professional eye across her floating pharmacy.

"So far, Professor, though I could use some more dittnay essence..." She shooed him out in front of her with a brisk motion.

"Severus, I'll be right back after I check on the others. And we will be continuing where we left off."

The interruption of his treatment gave him a moment to think at least.

At one time, Severus had taken great comfort from this woman. He would swear that she had grown to actually care for him, not in an impersonal healer sort of way, but almost as if he was a child of her own family. They had had many long talks during his frequent, often extended stays in her infirmary. She had taken better and closer care of him then his own mother ever had. She had shared a great deal of information on medicines and healing treatments with him and taught him that not all adults were cruel or indifferent or untrustworthy- until the day that she had broken trust with him herself.

Still, she claimed to regret her actions. She had helped him before. Perhaps he ought to throw himself on her mercy and hope that she would still help him after she found out what he was concealing. On the other hand, she had proven unwilling to go against the rules for him. Homosexuality and male pregnancy might be enough to drive even her away. And... another type of thought hit him. And what sort of trouble would she get into if she DID try to help him and the baby?

He turned that thought round and round , trying to calculate it from all angles.

Madam Pomfrey was one of the few truly good people. He was convinced of that. He knew that he had not been the only one to benefit from her generosity of spirit. Several of his house members had "special " needs. And Madam Pomfrey aided them all. If he got her fired or, even worse, her license suspended then he would have taken away all the good she would have done. Also there was a true risk to her being charged by the government if and when it came out she had helped him.

No he wouldn't do it.

But what about the baby. His baby. A true innocent whatever the official perception was.

He still wasn't sure what was going to come out of his mouth when the door creaked open and she came back into the room.

"Well, he's gone for now. And the others are doing well." she updated him, "It's time for you to tell me just why your suddenly afraid of diagnostic spells and potions."

He swallowed around the sudden hot, burning lump in his throat. Tears threatened again.

" As you know, white dittany, aloe, clary sage, pennyroyal, sandalwood and jasmine are, for different reasons, ingredients in most healing potions or tissue regrowth salves and unguents. And at the moment, I can't use anything with those in them. They have side effects that I intend to avoid. There are more- poke root, juniper, mugwort- the list is rather long." He bit his lip to stop himself from adding more- those should have been enough of a clue. He braced himself for her reaction.

He could see the very instant when the commonalities to those herbs burst into Madam Pomfrey's mind. Her eyes widened in shock. He nodded in confirmation of her surmise.

"Yes, they all have emmenagogic properties or are a strait-out abortificant or are teratogenic. I..I don't want my baby harmed." he whispered, ashamedly.

Whatever she had thought he had been hiding this time had apparently not been close to the truth of his condition. She lowered her eyes and turned her face from him before he could read whatever emotions were written on it. Her training soon had her healer's mask up and in short order she had turned back to him with nothing but a distant professional sympathy showing.

"I'll go get some more appropriate medications for you, Severus. Then we'll talk." Her voice was still steady though her hands were not anymore as she fumbled for the doorknob.

Alone again, hands limp across his belly, he felt more torn apart then ever.

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_Naff - basically uncool person. _


End file.
